Orange Soufflé Cake

Must thank Happy Flour for sharing this lovely feather light Orange Soufflé Cake.  The cake is really soft, moist and cottony.  Never expect that it is quite easy to prepare [almost similar to chiffon cake but less gluten].  Shrinks a little after cooling as advised by Happy Flour.  I'm quite satisfied with the result being the first time.  The only problem was my timer failed to work this time and I wasn't sure whether I had baked the cake for the 55 minutes.  Could have baked less then 55 minutes as the sides of the cake weren't brownish.  My other mistake was I forgot to wrap baking tin with tin foil.    Probably will bake this lovely cake again.  Was wondering if I can use lemon instead of orange.

For more details on this cake, please check it out at Happy Flour: Orange Soufflé Cake.

Ingredients
3 egg yolk
1/2 egg (about 30g)
15 gm sugar [I used 1 tbsp]
1/4 tsp salt
50 ml orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
35 ml vegetable oil [I  used 1 1/2 tbsp]
1/4 tsp orange paste [I omit as I don't have it]
40 gm cake flour  - sifted - set aside

3 egg white
55 gm sugar [used 3-4 tbsp]
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Line base of a 7" square tin with grease proof paper and wrap it with tin foil.  Place it in a bigger square baking tin.  Preheat oven to 150C.
2. Mix orange juice, zest, oil and orange paste together.
3. Use a hand whisk mix egg yolks, half egg, sugar and salt together.
4. Add in liquid mixture and whisk until well combined.
5. Fold in sifted flour and stir until batter is smooth.
6. Use a cake mixer, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy.   Add in the sugar in 3 batches and whisk until soft peaks formed.
7. Fold in 1/4 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture until combined.   Then fold in the rest of the meringue lightly in two portions until well combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared cake tin.  Place it in the bigger cake tin.
9. Steam-bake cake in a preheated oven for 50-55mins.
10. Remove cake at once from tin and cool it on a wire rack.

Notes from Happy Flour

"The recipe uses less flour which meant that the cake has a low gluten content to maintain it volume after it is baked. In other word the cake will shrink in height and width during cooling, so don't worry. This is a cotton soft moist cake".

Pumpkin Loaf Bread II [Sponge Dough Method]

This is another version of pumpkin loaf bread which is also good and worth a keeper.  I still prefer the sponge dough method as it yields loaf bread which remains soft for 2-3 days if kneaded to window pane stage. 
Added some wholemeal flour to this recipe, too.    Pumpkin can also be substituted with orange sweet potato.  The recipe yields 2 loaves of bread weighing 550gm each.

Ingredients for Sponge Dough

300 gm bread flour

2 tsp instant yeast

230 - 250 ml water

• Mix all ingredients into a soft rough dough.  Cover and leave to proof for at least 1-2 hours or put in plastic bag, tied up without proofing and keep in fridge for at least 4 hours.  Thaw for 15 minutes before adding bread dough ingredients.

Ingredients for Bread Dough

250 gm bread flour

50 gm wholemeal flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp  salt

1 egg

200 gm pumpkin puree

50 ml water [I did not add water]

50 gm butter [2 tbsp]

1. Add all the ingredients [except water and butter] to the sponge dough.  Knead until well combined, then gradually add in water [if necessary] while kneading until a soft dough is formed.  Knead for about 10 minutes then add in butter.  Continue kneading until soft, smooth, elastic and dough does not stick to the fingers [about 15 minutes on high speed] or to window pane stage.
2. Shape into a ball and cover with a clean cloth to proof for 15 minutes or until double in size. Punch down dough.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Roll and fold each portion into thirds, then roll swiss roll style into a log.  Place in baking tin [Pullman's tin] and leave to proof in oven for more than an hour or until double in size.  [You can divide dough into any number of equal portions to make small loaves].
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes.  Remove to cool on rack immediately after baking.

Bubur Pulut Hitam With Durian

Normally, Bubur Pulut Hitam sweet dessert  [black glutinous rice sweet dessert] is served with thick coconut milk.  Sometime ago,  a colleague of mine from Singapore told me that this dessert taste good with durian instead of coconut milk.  I cooked this before but did not post the recipe and was planning to do so  when the king of fruits is back.   Myself, I like it both ways.
The local durian season is now on in Penang.  My hubby bought a few fruits and it's quite costly at the moment because it's just the beginning.  I reserved some to cook this dessert again.  Just to enjoy..lol.  The durian smell wasn't that strong when you are savouring it.  It is stronger when someone else is eating it nearby... Unbelievable.

Ingredients

[serves 4-5]

100 gm black glutinous rice - washed

2 pieces screwpine leaves [pandan leaves] - washed and knotted

6 cups of water

100 - 120 gm sugar

100 - 150 gm durian flesh - mashed slightly into a rough paste

1. Put rice, pandan leaves and water in a pot.  Bring to boil and cook until rice is soften and cooked [when cooked, the water is reduced and the rice is thick and sticky]. 
2. Then add in sugar to taste.  Add in durian flesh.  Stir to mix well.  Off fire.
3. Serve dessert warm or hot.

Notes:

• The black glutinous rice is from Kelantan.  Very good quality, not husky and cooks fast.  Naturally sticky when soft and cooked.

QQ Glutinous Flour Loaf Bread [Overnight Dough Method]

Thanks to Vivian Pang for sharing this recipe.  Really a good loaf bread recipe and an additional flour option.  I used the overnight dough method to bake this bread.  The loaf was still soft on the second day but slightly dry.  We toasted it, it was lovely with butter and jam and a cup of hot beverage.

The recipe here makes 2 loaves.  The ingredients and method is slightly different from Vivian's.

Ingredients for Overnight Dough

200 gm bread flour

100 gm glutinous rice flour

1 tsp instant yeast [first time trying, I used 1.5 tsp]

150 ml water

• Mix all ingredients into a soft rough dough.  Cover and leave to proof for at least 1-2 hours or put in plastic bag, tied up without proofing and keep in fridge for at least 4 hours.  Thaw for 15 minutes before adding bread dough ingredients.

Ingredients for Bread Dough

300 gm bread flour

1 tbsp skimmed milk powder

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp  salt

1 egg

120-150 ml water

60 gm butter 

1. Add all the ingredients [except butter] to the overnight dough.  Knead [from low speed to medium] until well combined and dough is soft for about 10 minutes then add in butter.  Continue kneading until soft, smooth and elastic.  Knead a further 5-10 minutes and dough does not stick to the fingers or window pane stage.
2. Shape into a ball and cover with a clean cloth to proof for 15 minutes or until double in size. Punch down dough.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Roll and fold each portion into thirds, then roll swiss roll style into a log.  Place in baking tin [Pullman's tin] and leave to proof in oven for an hour or until double in size [almost reach the rim of the baking tin.  [You can divide dough into any number of equal portions to make smaller loaves].  Remove from oven before preheating it.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 40 minutes.  Remove to cool on rack immediately after baking.

Claypot Braised Fried Yee Meen

Sunday is usually a 'Noodle' day for me especially when I have several household chores to do or when I am doing some baking.  It is a One Dish Meal with least preparation, cooking and cleaning up.

 

Since I am baking a cake and making the glutinous rice wrap and roll, preparing noodles for dinner will be just nice for me.  I may still have time to 'look see, look see' at the shopping mall or do some blogging, lol...

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

2-3 pieces fried yee meen [store bought - either fine or broad type]* or enough for 2-3 persons

* blanched in hot water to remove excess oil, drain in colander, set aside

100 gm shelled prawns *

100 gm pork slices *

*marinate separately with a dash of salt, pepper and sesame oil

some crabmeat - optional [I added crabmeat as I have them in my fridge]

1 tbsp chopped garlic

3 dried Chinese mushrooms - soaked till soft and sliced thinly

2 stalks of mustard leaves [choy sum] washed and cut into 3cm lengths

some sliced red chilli in soy sauce or ready sambal belacan

1 tbsp oil

Gravy

700 ml  hot water

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar [optional]

1/4 tsp each of msg* and pepper

* I used original Ajinomoto 1909

1-2 tbsp cornflour + 2 tbsp water for thickening

1. Heat oil in a pan [I used claypot] over medium fire.  Saute garlic until fragrant, add in meat and cook for a few seconds.  Add in prawns and cook until prawns are firm.
2. Pour in hot water and add in all seasoning to taste.   Bring to a boil again before adding yee meen and mustard leaves.  Thicken gravy with cornflour mix when it boils again.  Scoop up prawns and meat to the top.
3. Serve immediately with chillies or sambal belacan.

Sweet Brown Bean Buns [Gelatinized Dough]

I made some sweet bean paste using brown beans instead of red beans.
Preparation is not that difficult. With this portion of ingredients, I can get about 350gm of the sweet bean paste which is enough for the portion gelatinized dough. Please refer to this post for the dough recipe Pandan Coconut Buns [Gelatinized Dough Method.

Brown Beans 

Ingredients for Brown Bean Paste

100 gm brown beans
2 pandan leaves - knotted

100 gm dark brown sugar

400 ml water or enough to cook beans until tender

1 tbsp butter

1. Boil brown beans with pandan leaves in a pot with water until very tender.  Cool and discard pandan leaves .  Blend the soft beans in a processor until fine.  Add a little water if necessary.  Blended them in several batches for easier handling.
2. Place blended ingredients in a heavy based pan.  
3. Stir continuously to reduce the  water.  Cooked until  paste still slightly dry but moist.  Add in sugar.  Continue to stir and paste is almost dry again.
4. Add in butter.  Continue to stir fry until paste is  smooth and shiny but not dry.
5. Dish out and cool before storing.  
6. Use paste as filling for buns.

Note:

Filling enough to makes about 22-24 buns.  

How to shape these buns [See above 3 photos] 

 

Verdict - these buns are soft and moist.  With the homemade sweet brown bean paste, it is not that sweet. 

Steamed Fish With Miso

 

 

There is a tub of Japanese miso in my fridge.   Since I haven't bought a new bottle of preserved soya bean paste [taucheong] to steam fish, I used it as a substitute.  It turned out good as it is not too salty and the colour is lighter than taucheong.  Guess I can try to use miso in other recipes that require taucheong.

I used this steaming sauce to steam fish [this fish is from my hubby's fishing trip a week ago and its still very fresh].   A really tasty dish.   I do not know the name of this fish.  Can anyone tell me what is the name of this fish?  My hubby found the name is Mahogany Snapper [he called it dark spot fish].

 Ingredients for Steaming Sauce

1 tbsp each of chopped garlic and ginger

1 red chilli - seeded and chopped [keep some for garnishing] 
1 stalk spring onion - cut small pieces [keep some for garnishing]

1 tbsp miso paste

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar
a dash of pepper

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

• Heat pan with oil to saute garlic, ginger, spring onion and chilli until aromatic.  Add in miso paste.  Stir fry for a few seconds on low heat.  Add in seasoning to taste.   Dish out.

1 fish - cleaned and keep whole -about 300 gm

1 cabbage leave - washed, break into smaller piecesand blanched to soften [use to line steaming plate]

• Place cabbage leave on steaming plate.  Put a little steaming sauce on top of cabbage leave followed by the fish. Spread rest of steaming sauce on top of fish.
• Steam fish over boiling water on high heat for 10-12 minutes [depending on size of fish] or until cooked through.  Garnish with spring onions and chilli.  Serve immediately.

Seaweed, Tofu and Minced Meat Soup

It may not be the best soup but it can still be tasty to our taste buds.  Moreover, it is simple, healthy, quick to cook and cheap [not more than Ringgit 2.00].  So much better when served steaming hot in a claypot with rice.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

1 piece tofu - cut into 6 or 8 cubes

50 gm minced meat - marinate with light soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and cornflour

1/4 piece of seaweed - wash and drain of water in a colander

500 ml water or 3 rice bowls
1 tsp tung choy - rinse

1/4 tsp salt
msg and pepper to taste

some spring onion - chopped

some garlic crisps [optional]

1. Bring water and tung choy [preserved salted vegetable] to boil in soup pot [I used claypot].  When boiling, drop in the minced meat [not necessary meatballs] using a spoon.  Boil soup for a few minutes or until aromatic.
2. Add in tofu cubes.  Let the soup comes to a boil again while you add in seasoning to taste.  Lastly add in seaweed.  Give it a stir.  Off fire once the soup boils again.
3. Before serving, add in spring onions and fried garlic crisps [if preferred].
4. Serve soup immediately.

Note:

Add seaweed just before serving otherwise you may get 'purplish' coloured soup.

Cappuccino Vanilla Yoghurt Chiffon Cake

Was planning to bake this chiffon cake when I bought this yoghurt.  Then I saw Wendy's Topo Map Love cake pattern which looks so unique and interesting.  I know it won't be that soon I will bake the Topo Map Love cake.  So without hesitation, I used part of her idea to create those dark lines in this cake too.   Can't compare with Wendy's but at least I know the effect, haha!   

The cake texture is good.   Light, moist and taste yummy.  My hubby asked to reserve the last 2 slices for him.

Ingredients - Egg Yolk Mixture

4 large egg yolks

2 tbsp castor sugar

4 tbsp corn oil

1/2 tsp salt

100 ml capuccino vanilla yoghurt with Nata Coco

120 gm plain flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder - sifted

• Whisk egg yolks with castor sugar till creamy and add in corn oil [1 tbsp at a time].  Mix well after each addition.  Then add in yoghurt.  Mix well, fold in flour until well combined.  Set aside.  Preheat oven at 170 degrees C for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the meringue.

Ingredients - Egg White Mixture

4 large egg white

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3 tbsp caster sugar

Some chocolate powder - optional - to form thin lines in the cake

1. Whisk egg white in a clean mixing bowl till frothy, then add in cream of tartar. Continue beating for a second and add in caster sugar gradually.  Continue beating all the time till soft peaks formed [Note - it is easier to fold in soft peak egg white mixture to egg yolk mixture.  Do not overbeat meringue]
2. Fold in 1/3 the egg white mixture to egg yolk mixture until well combined.  Then fold into the rest of egg white mixture.  Fold until mixtures are well combined.  
3. Pour 1/3 portion into 7" chiffon pan, sieve in unevenly a layer of cocoa powder.  Top with another 1/3 portion of mixture and sieve in another layer of cocoa powder and pour in balance mixture.  Smooth the surface with a spatula.  Tap pan several times on table top to release trapped air bubbles. 
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes on lower rack.  
5. Remove from oven and immediately invert pan to cool cake before removing from pan.

 

Glutinous Rice Wrap Rolls

Is this considered  'Dim Sum', rice roll or dumplings, I do not know.   Anyway, it is edible 'wrap and roll' that are filled with delicious treasures.
The rolls are very flavourful.  When fried the glutinous rice is soft and QQ.   Nice.

Ingredients

[makes 20-22 rolls]

300 gm glutinous rice - wash and soak in water overnight

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp oil

1 piece beancurd skin [cut into rectangular pieces of about 10cm x 15cm]

enough oil for deep frying [fry in several batches to reduce the quantity of oil required]

Filling

100 gm char siew - store bought - diced

100 gm tender lean pork - diced

100 gm chicken breast - diced

4 shitake mushrooms - soaked and diced

1 small carrot - diced

1 tsp each of oyster sauce, sugar, light soy sauce and wine

1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water or stock

1. Drain soaked rice.  Line a steaming tray withe muslin cloth.  Pour in rice and steam for about an hour or until rice is soft and cooked.  Remove from heat and add in salt and oil.  Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a wok.  Stir fry the lean pork, chicken meat, mushroom and carrot.  Fry for a few seconds.  Add in seasoning and water.  Simmer until the filling is almost dry, then add in the char siew.  Fry for a few seconds to combine ingredients.
3. Mix the filling with glutinous rice.  Combine well.
4. Place some filling in the middle of each beancurd skin.  Fold in the sides and roll up.  Do the same until the ingredients are all used up.
5. Heat enough oil in wok and deep fry dumplings/rolls until golden brown [I shallow fry the rolls in batches on medium heat].
6. Drain well on kitchen paper and serve hot [plain or with mayonnaise/chilli sauce].

I'm submitting submitting this post to Small Small Baker: Aspiring Bakers #19: Dim Sum Affair (May 2012)   hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.